DIY vs Professional Lawn Care - Which is Better?
Sometimes, you might feel comfortable handling lawn care on your own. For those times when you want some more help, you can use the services of a subscription company, or hire one of the full-service lawn care companies in Lorain. Caring for your lawn on your own may save you money at first. However, without the expert guidance of a lawn care professional, you might make mistakes that wind up being costly in the future.
If you want to have expert guidance while still doing your own lawn care, you might try a company like Sunday Lawn Care. These companies put together subscription packages of lawn chemicals and tools, which are periodically sent to you depending on the time of year and where you live in Ohio. They take care of the research and planning, although you still need to take care of the manual labor.
If you'd prefer to be completely hands-off, a full-service company like TruGreen will be the best decision. This option might be the most costly, but for good reason: they provide both custom solutions to all your lawn care problems and the people-power to take care of all the work.
Types of Lawn Care Services in Lorain, OH
Lawn care companies around Lorain can provide many different services, such as:
- Weed Control: Weed control helps get rid of and keep away weeds and other unwanted plants. These types of services involve processes like manually pulling up unwanted greenery and applying chemicals that kill and keep away weeds. Most if not all full-service and subscription lawn care companies offer weed control services.
- Fertilization: Fertilization facilitates the growth of plants and grasses via the application of certain compounds and chemicals at the right times throughout the year. Like weed control, the majority of — if not all — full-service and subscription lawn care companies offer fertilization services.
- Seeding/Overseeding: Seeding and overseeding improve the color and appearance of your lawn and fill in bare spots. Seeding involves planting grass in places where there is none, while overseeding involves putting down more seed over existing grass, without removing any. Seeding and overseeding are offered by the majority of full-service lawn companies and many subscription companies.
- Aeration: Aeration services, which involve making small holes all over your lawn, are provided by many full-service lawn care companies. Aeration helps loosen the soil, allowing nutrients, air, and water to flow more easily. This increases root growth and strengthens your lawn.
- Soil Care: Soil care improves your lawn growth by balancing the chemistry and pH of your soil to improve the availability of nutrients. Most full-service and subscription lawn care companies can provide this service.
- Pest Control: Many full-service lawn care companies can also help eliminate insects or other pests that are doing damage to your property. The lawn expert may apply pesticides or trap animals. Always make sure that the technician you hire is properly licensed to apply pesticides through the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
- Tree and Shrub Care: Many full-service lawn companies provide tree and shrub care. These companies will help clean up and care for shrubs and trees on your property to help keep your lawn looking its best.
- Leaf/Snow Removal: You may need snow removal services frequently in Lorain, and you might infrequently be in the market for leaf removal. No matter what, it is a smart idea to know which companies near you offer these services. This will help you get the problem taken care of faster and prevent damage to your lawn.
- Mowing/Edging: Mowing and edging are ways to quickly improve the look of your lawn. Certain full-service lawn care companies can provide these services, or you may prefer to find a company specializing in edging and mowing.
There is a Lorain lawn care company for every need and budget. It is recommended that you contact one or two from the list above to discover the one that will be best for you.
Lorain Quick Facts
- Lorain's average high of 57° F is higher than 37.9% of the United States.
- Like a mix of sun and shade? Lorain has higher tree coverage than 25% of the country.
- Lorain sits in the Cold climate zone.
- The average low temperature of 44° F in Lorain is lower than 46% of the U.S.
- Lorain sees approximately 54.9 inches of snow in a typical year.
Choosing a Lorain Lawn Care Company
You want to choose a reliable lawn care services company. If you are going to have chemicals like pesticides applied to your lawn, your technician must be licensed through the Ohio Department of Agriculture. If you need them to perform landscaping services (such as mowing), they'll need to meet all of the landscaper licensing requirements for Ohio. Companies might also have membership in organizations like the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP). Lawn care companies are not required to be members of NALP, but the association lets companies collaborate and share information on best practices. Finally, you can look at a company's website to see what kind of guarantees they offer, and read online reviews. "[Our mission is to] advocate for lawn and landscape industry growth and the benefits we provide to our communities."
Next you will want to figure out which companies offer the specific services you need. Many Lorain lawn care service companies have both fixed plans and "a la carte" options, where you can pick and choose only those services that you want.
Once your list is down to three or so companies, you'll want to ask about an inspection and quote. With the help of GPS technology, some companies are even able to make an estimate based on how big your yard is before they even visit your property. Your estimate will be based mainly on the size of your lawn and the specific services you need.
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Homeowner Responsibilities
If you haven't worked with a Lorain lawn care company before (or even if you have) you may be curious about what you ought to expect. The following are some things to keep in mind:
- Before Treatments: Any full-service company you hire will ask that you ensure your lawn is fully accessible on the day of treatment. For example, you will need to make sure any gates are open. The company will also ask that you keep your pets indoors. If they want you to water or do any other care for your lawn in advance, they will ask you to do so. If you've opted for a subscription company, it is important to provide your information and place your order in advance.
- During Treatments: If you are going with a subscription company, then you will perform treatments yourself, following the instructions provided by the company. If you've opted for a full-service company like TruGreen, a lawn care professional will come to your house to perform treatments. In most cases, you won't be asked to be home for lawn care treatment. However, your lawn care professional may require you to be home for their first visit. Your technicians will communicate with you (electronically or in writing) to let you know what services they finished and when.
- After and Between Treatments: Your lawn care company may suggest that you water your lawn 24 hours following certain treatments. The company should also inform you when it is going to be safe for pets and family to be on the lawn again. It is important to keep in mind that the effects of some treatments, like overseeding and weed control, may not be immediately apparent. If something goes wrong with your lawn care treatment, most full-service and subscription companies back up their products and services with guarantees. Whichever type of company you decide to use, in most cases services will continue on a regular basis until you cancel.
Selecting a trustworthy lawn care company in Lorain can help you feel much more confident and comfortable with the process. Any provider you choose from our list of the best lawn care companies in Lorain can explain all steps of the process and make sure that you know what to expect.
